Corn-planter



(No Model.) 3-Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. 0. EVANS. CORN PLANTER.

No. 546,486. Petented Sept. 17, 1895.

WITNESSES: I "J Z/V QM W4 ATTORNEYS v INVENTOR 6 ANDREW EGRANAM.FHOTULITHQWASHINGTONJL 3.Sheets-Sheet 2. LC. EVANS. CORN PLANTER.

(No Model.)

No. 546,486. Patented Sept. 17,1895.

0/ ATTORNEYS 1 ANDREW BGRMjAM.PHOTD-UMOWRSNINGTDFIUC.

( No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

e L. O. EVANS.

CORN PLANTER. No. 546,486.

Patented Sept. 17, 1895.

LOUIS O. EVANS, OFSPRINGFIELD,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF Tl) LORENZO :o. BENNER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,486, datedSeptember 17, 1895.

Application filed March 17, 1894.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS O. EVANs,a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and' useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in corn-planters, and it especiallyrelates to that class of corn-planters which are adapted to operateeither as adrill or check-rower.

The object ofmy invention is to provide in a corn-planter novel means bywhich an ordinary drill-planter may be converted into a check-rowplanter, the construction being such that the whole operation ofcheck-rowing may be accomplished by the check-wire or partly by thecheck-wire and partly by the wheels, as desired.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide novel means foradjusting the seed-plates in the hopper to the difierent work to beperformed.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel means for carryingthe corn from the hopper to the seed-tubes and regulating the quantityso carried.

A further object of my invention is to siming features of my improvedcheck-rowing device. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively detail views, partlyin section, of portions of the same. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevationshowing a detail of the same. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively sectionalelevations of the feedingplates adjusted to accomplish different resultsin planting. Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing the hopper with theseedingdevices' removed. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the false bottomarranged above the seeding-plates. Fig. 10 is a detail view of myimproved cutolf device. Figs. 11 to 18, inclusive, are details of someof the various parts relating to the seeding devices; and Fig. 19 is adetail Serial No. 503,990. (No model.)

showing a modified form of the cutoff. Fig. 20 is a side elevation,partly in section, of the seed tube, showing the valve;

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in theseveral views. I

In the said drawings, a represents the wheel-frame, and b therunner-frame of an ordinary corn-planter. a a are the carryingwheels,which are arranged in the usual way on a shaft a which carries asprocket-wheel a over which passes a driving-chain a The Wheel-frame ishinged to the runner-frame by suitable hinged connections I), which arepreferably arranged concentric to a rotating shaft b which drives theseed-plates arranged in the hoppers b the shaft 1) being adapted toreceive motion from the drive-chain a which passes over a suitablesprocket-wheel b on said shaft. A rock-shaft c, journaled in suitablehearings on the runner-frame and connected to valves 0' in theseed-tubes d, is adapted to be oscillated by forked levers e on suitableheads 6 in the usual manner, the construction being such that as thegrain is dropped into the seed-tubes by the continuously-revolvingplates revolved by the shaft 1) it is retained in the heel of the shoeuntil the valves are opened by the check-wire operating on thefork-lever e, this being a well-known method of check-row planting bywhat are known as combined planters. This method of check-row planting,while simple in its operation and permitting peculiar advantages in theconstruction of the machine, which enables it to be readily changed froma drill to a check-row planter, is defective as regards the planting inhills, inasmuch as the method of accumulating the grain in the heel ofthe shoe to form a hill does not insure a uniform amount of grain ineach hill, as the drill may operate to drop more or less grain betweenthe successive opening and closing of the valves in the seed-tubes,depending upon the character of the soil over which the be partiallyrotated by the operation of the rock-shaft c, and dispense with thedrivingchain a.

Mounted on the shaft 6 is a ratchet-wheel f, havingaseries of notches orteethf. The rock-shaft c is provided with a projecting arm f to which ishinged a peculiarly-shaped pawl f which is connected to said arm f by aspring f The pawlf is preferably bifurcated or recessed at its outer endto form a ehamberf which fits over and is adapted to engage with theteeth f in the ratchet-wheel f. (See Fig. 3.) The arm f is furtherprovided with a projecting lug or fingerf, which, as the shaft 0 isoscillated, is adapted to contact with the teeth f and stop therevolution of the ratchet-wheelf and the shaft b The construction issuch that as the rock-shaft c is operated by the knotted wire acting onthe fork-levers the arm f presses the pawlf upwardly and forwardly andthus moves the ratchetwheel f a distance of one notch or until theprojectionf contacts with said ratchetwheel and stops the revolution,which is accomplished synchronously with the passage of the wire fromthe fork-lever, the parts being returned immediately to their normalpositions by the action of the springs in the cheek-heads in the usualway For planting by this method a plate is provided in the hopper whichhas a number of openings therein corresponding to the number of teeth inthe ratchet-wheel, the openings being of a sufficient size to containthe exact quantity of grain necessary to form a hill.

the seed-tube at each operation of the checkwire, while the precedinghill is dropped from the seed-tube by the valves in the usual way, theclosing of the valves being accomplished in time to catch and retain onebill of corn in the seed-tubes at all times.

Means are preferably provided by which the shaft Z2 is prevented fromturning too freely to cause the same to remain in the position in whichit is moved by the operation of the pawl and ratchet-wheel. This Ipreferably accomplish by providing at one side of the ratchet-wheel f afriction-hub f said hub being adapted to fit over and engage aprojection f on astationary part of the frame, which holds the same fromrevolving, a spring f in said hub being adapted to press one end firmlyagainst the wheel fand thus create sufficient friction to prevent theshaft from turning except as moved by the pawl, thus insuring the properregistration of the seedplates with the opening in the seed-hopper. Itis obvious that the same result exactly may be obtained by a hand-leverg, operating through suitable mechanism to oscillate the shaft 0. I haveshown in Fig. 2 substantially the same mechanism for this purpose asdescribed in my patent, No. 508,568, dated November 14:, 1803.

When the corn is drilled into the seed-tube A hill of grain is thusdropped from the hopper into by the continuously-revolving shaft Z)", adifferent form of plate is used in the hopper than when the entire hillis discharged into the seed-tube at one operation. For drilling, a thinplate having a greater number of openings is employed, such as shown inFig. 13, while for dropping at intervals a hill at a time a thickerplate with a fewer number of openings is employed, as shown in Fig. 12.Now, in order to employ means for readily adjusting the dropping devicesin the hopper to either form of check-row planter, I have provided novelmeans for supporting and operating the said dropping-plates. In eithercase the dropping-plate h is adapted to fit in a driving-ring lo, saidring being provided with notches into which suitable lugs-h on thedropping-plate are adapted to engage, the driving-ring 7c being providedwith gear-teeth k adapted to mesh in a pinion 7& on the shaft IF.

A false bottom m is arranged above the plate and driving-gear and fitsover aboss or projection at on the bottom proper n, the projection 91being in the nature of a stud on which the ,platesrevolve, and isfurther provided with an irregularly-shaped projection 11 over which thefalse bottom m is adapted to fit, a bolt m, fhaving a thumb-nut m beingadapted to hold the parts in their proper relative positions.

The false bottom m is provided with projecting glugs or feet m at thecorners thereof, which ,normally rest on the bottom proper and thuselevate the same sufficiently to permit the 'free operation of thedriving-ring and plates. .Now, when it is desired to use a thickerplate, the false bottom and the drill-plate (such as shown in Fig. 13)plate (shown in Fig. 12) is inserted therein, and a supporting-ring 0placed on the bottom proper to form a support for the lugs m on thefalse bottom, and thus elevate the same sufficiently to accommodade thethicker plate. This ring 0 is so constructed as to rest on the areremoved, the thicker the whole united together by the bolt m, as before,and as shown in Figs. 7 and 18.

To provide for properly filling the seedopenings in the respectiveplates, I form the false bottom on with a chamber m, in which is placeda supporting-frame 17, carrying a roller 1), which is journaled therein,said frame being provided with a stem 19 which extends upwardly throughthe chamber m" and around which is arranged a spring 17 which serves toforce said roller in contact with the dropping-plate.

The false bottom m is provided in the usual way with an opening athrough which the grain passes to the IIO openings in the seed-plate,and the chamber m with the cut-off, is arranged at one end of saidopening, so that as the plates are revolved the openings containing thegrain are successively brought under said cut-off and the surplus grainremoved therefrom by the operation of the yielding roller. The use of aroller for this purpose prevents the breaking of the grain and tends tomore evenly fill the openings by rolling over and pressing the graintherein. A similar chamber at is provided immediately over the opening71 in the bottom proper, which leads to the seed-tubes, and within thechamber m is placed a similarly spring-actuated frame 10 having aprojection 19 which is forced downwardly into the successive openings asthey pass under the same, and thus discharges the grain therefrom intothe seed-tubes.

In Fig 19 I have shown the roller cut-off arranged in a modified form,the roller 19' being in this case journaled in a pivoted frame 1)instead of a vertical moving frame, as in the other figures described.

The arrangement of the supporting-ring and the stud extension for thebottom proper enables the false bottom to be secured securel'y to thebottom proper when a seed-plate of greater or less thickness is used andstill permit said seeding-plate to revolve freely between the saidparts.

It will be seen from the above description that I provide a planterwhich, while ex-' tremely simple, is capable of adjustment to almostevery variety of work. It may be used as a simple drill, as a combineddrill and check-rower, in which the drill operates continuously and thecheck-row devices only are operated by the wire, or it may be operatedas a check-row planter pure and simple, either through the agency of theordinary checkwire or by hand, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a planter, a revolvingshaft and seed plates operated thereby, a rock shaft operating valves inseed tubes under said seed plates, a ratchet wheel on said revolvingshaft, and a pawl on said rock shaft adapted to engage said ratchetwheel, and a stop projection adapted to limit the movement of saidratchet wheel when moved by said pawl, substantially as specified.

2. In a planter having seed hoppers with seed plates therein, and seedtubes having valves therein, two parallel shafts for operating theplates and valves, respectively, and a pawl and ratchet connectionbetween said shafts, and means, substantially as specified, for stoppingthe revolution of one shaft when moved by the other shaft by said pawland ratchet devices, substantially as specified.

8. In a planter, the combination with a revolving shaft for operatingthe hopper seeding devices, and a rock shaft for operating the valves inseed tubes, of aprojecting finger on said rock shaft, a spring-actuatedpawl pivoted to said finger, a stop projection also on said finger, anda ratchet wheel on said revolving shaft adapted to be operated by saidpawl and finger, substantially as specified.

4. In a planter having hoppers with seeding devices operated by arevolving shaft, and seed tubes having valves therein operated by a rockshaft, a ratchet wheel on said revolving shaft, and a spring-actuatedpawl pivoted to said rock shaft to engage said ratchet wheel, and means,as described, for retarding the motion of said revolving shaft whenoperated by said rock shaft, substantially as specified.

5. In a planter having a hopper, and a perforated revolving plate insaid hopper, a removable false bottom in said hopper over saidperforated plate, a stud on which said plate revolves, and anintermediate movable supporting ring adapted to support said falsebottom, and a removable extension for said stud having engagingprojections for the false bottom, substantially as specified.

6. In a planter having revolving perforated plates arranged in hoppers,as described, and seed tubes having independently operated valvestherein, driving rings for said seed plates to which said plates areremovably attached, perforated bottoms in said hoppers having projectingstuds on which said plates revolve, removable false bottoms arrangedabove said plates, and intermediateremovable supporting rings adapted torest on said bottoms and support said false bottoms, and extensions forsaid studs also adapted to engage with said false bottoms when supportedon said supporting rings, substantially as specified.

7. The combination in a seed hopper, of a driving ring, a removableplate in said ring, a removable falsev bottom supported above saidplate, and an intermediate removable supporting ring for said falsebottom, a stud on which the plate revolves, and a removable extension onsaid stud, said extension being provided with engaging features toengage said stud and false bottom, respectively, and means,substantially as described, for clamping the said parts together so asto permit the free operation of said plate, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of March,A. D. 1894.

LOUIS O. EVANS.

Witnesses:

FRED B. ERNEST, ROBERT C. Romans

